I'll Just Call You Mine
by RandysAngel0180
Summary: April is fresh out of college and is starting a new life in St. Louis when a chance meeting in a coffee shop lands her the job she never thought she'd have, with a man she'd never thought she'd meet. (I'm terrible at summaries, I own nothing but my original character & I encourage any and all reviews!)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It was a day like any other, miserable and cold. The snow had just began to fall again as I finished with my last job interview. "_Oh great," _I thought as I walked out to my truck, "_its snowing again, just wonderful!" _It had snowed all week long and I was getting tired of driving around in it. Sure it was nice at first, but the more it fell, the worse it got. I decided to drive over to Starbuck's before heading home because my white chocolate mocha seemed to always put me in a better mood, that is until I got there and the drive-thru line was out the wazoo. Knowing that I had to get out of my, now warm truck, didn't make me any happier. That's when it happened; I went in for coffee and came out with the job I had only dreamed about.

"_Welcome to Starbucks, I'm Molly, what can I get for you?"_

_"I'd like a Grande White Chocolate Mocha and a slice of your banana chocolate chip bread, please."_I said as I fumbled around in my purse for my wallet.

After giving her my debit card, I walked over to a nearby table to wait for my order. I pulled out my cell phone to make a call when a toddler made her way to my table.

"_Well, aren't you beautiful,"_ I said as I picked her up. "_Where'd you come from, huh?_ _Let's see if we can find your mommy and daddy so they don't get worried about you."_

I stood up and looked around but no one was looking for their child. "_Ok, this is strange," _I thought to myself, "_who just lets their child wonder off."_

I wasn't sure what to do, as it wasn't often that I was in a situation like this one. I looked down at her as she started to cry.

"_Oh, shhh, sweetie, its ok," _I said as I held her close against me. I sat down and tried to think of what to do.

"Order_ for April," _the server said over the intercom.

I slid my purse over my shoulder and walked up to the counter with a now sleeping child. I slid the bag of food into my purse and picked up the coffee. As I turned to walk towards the door, I almost ran head on into Randy Orton.

"_Whoa, I am so sorry. I can't believe I almost spilled this all over you," _I said trying to back away so as to not throw hot coffee on him.

"_Don't worry about it," _he started, "_but I would like to have my daughter back."_

I looked at him with a confused look on my face as he pointed to the sleeping child in my arms. As I came to the realization that I had Alanna, I instantly blushed.

"_Of course," _I said as I handed her to him.

She started crying and reaching back for me. He looked upset as he had no idea what I had done to his child. I instantly felt bad and wasn't sure what to say or do.

"_Why won't she stop crying," _he said as he rubbed her back.

"_I'm not sure. It could be any number of things," _I said as I took a sip of coffee.

He gently rocked her and still she wouldn't stop crying. His cell phone started ringing so he decided to hand her back to me.

"_Can you do me a favor? Hold her for a second, please? I really have to take this call, its important." _He said as he answered his phone.

I didn't even answer and he was already placing his child back into my arms. I sat down and began to rock her. She cuddled up to me, rubbed her eyes and sniffed one last time. I placed my hand on her forehead and noticed that she felt rather warm.

"_You're a little warm, sweetheart. I guess that could be causing you to be so fussy, huh?" _I said as I reached down with a tissue to wipe her nose.

Lucky for me there was a lady sitting across from me who had a little one with her as well. I figured she'd have some baby Tylenol or Motrin, so I walked over to her.

"_I am so sorry to bother you, but I think this little one is running a low grade fever," _I started.

After hearing that she didn't have what I needed, I walked back to my chair and grabbed my keys. I knew there was a drugstore around the corner and I knew I could get her some there. Heading towards the door, however, I realized I couldn't leave.

"_Oh man, I can't just up and leave with his daughter."_ I thought as I sat back down.

I knew at this point there was only one thing to do and that was to wait until he got off the phone. As I sat there waiting I found myself rocking her and humming softly. Oddly enough, it felt nice holding her and I felt like we were the only ones in the coffee shop. What I didn't know, was that Randy had been off his phone and was sitting there watching me.

"_Is this woman for real?"_ he thought as he watched me sit down in a chair by the window. He began to take notice of how good I was with Alanna and he liked the fact that she took to me so easily, as she had attendancy to not like being held by strangers.

"_Earth to Randy," _John started, "_are you in there?"_

John Cena had just arrived to go over some details about the house show taking place that evening. He noticed that his friend was off in another world and couldn't help but wonder why. Again he tried to shake his friend out of his trance.

"_Hello, Randy," _he said waving his hands in front of Randy's face.

"_Huh? Oh, sorry, I was just, um, watching, um, oh never mind. Glad you could make it, you're late."_ Randy said trying to change the subject.

"_Yeah, well I don't normally like driving in this mess so I took my time. No big deal though, I still made it here didn't I?" _He said as he sat down with his hot cup of coffee.

As the two started talking, Alanna started getting fussy again. I knew I couldn't wait any longer so I approached his table.

"_Um, excuse me," _I started, "_I hate to interrupt, but I think Alanna is running fever and she needs some Motrin or Tylenol."_

He reached up and felt her head as he reached for the diaper bag.

"_Damnit, she didn't pack anything like that in here," _he said placing the bag back on the floor.

"_Look, I know this may sound crazy, but there is a drug store around the corner. I would be happy to run over there and get some for you while you have your meeting with John_, _that is, if you don't mind me doing something like that for you."_ I said noticing the odd look on his face.

"_Wow, you'd really do that? Why?" _he asked, curiosity peaked.

"_Yes, of course I would. She needs something to bring her fever down or you'll be making a trip to the emergency room. Trust me, once we get her fever down, she won't be so fussy."_ I said as he took her into his arms.

_"Wow, I think I'm truly shocked. For the first time in my life I can honestly say that it's nice to have someone care about something or someone other than mobbing me and my friends because of who we are. That doesn't happen very often."_ He said as he pulled out his wallet.

Handing me some cash he told me to be careful while I was out there.

"_I will, and oh before I forget, who are you again?"_ I said somewhat playfully.

"_You don't know who I am," _he said kind of shocked.

"_Of course I know who you are, I don't just do this for anyone, you know,"_ I said as I walked towards the door.

"_Hey, wait a minute," _he said aloud. "_How would you feel about doing this full time?"_

_"Doing what? Running around to the drugstore to get medicine?" _ I said as I turned around to face him.

"_No, I meant taking care of Alanna for me." _He said as he handed her to John.

"_I really like what I have seen today and I'm sure after I have a conversation with Sam, she'll be fine with it. I think a live in nanny would be perfect."_

_"I'm sorry, do what? You want me to what? Are you serious?" _I said in complete shock.

"_Yeah, I'm serious. Alanna seems to like you and you seem to like her so I think it's perfect. You have also showed me that it doesn't matter to you that I'm a famous person. You showed me the kind of respect that I usually don't receive from my fans and that speaks volumes about the kind of person you are."_

_"Well, thank you, I don't know what to say. I'd love to take care of that beautiful little girl, but are you sure this is ok? I mean I'm nothing more than some stranger that walked into a coffee shop and just happen to be here at the same time you were and…"_ he cut me off.

_"Do you believe in fate?"_ he asked.

"_Of course I do, but what does that have to do with this?" _I asked somewhat confused.

"_I believe you were right when you said that you just happened to be here at the same time that I happened to be here. If that isn't fate, then I'd like to know what is," _he said as he raised an eyebrow at me.

It didn't take me long to realize that he wasn't going to take no for an answer. We exchanged phone numbers so he could get in touch with me after he discussed his plan with Sam. He reached out to shake my hand as if we'd just made some sort of business deal and then I was on my way to the drug store. I had no idea that when I accepted his offer, it would be the last job I'd ever have to look for.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

As Randy drove, he glanced in the rear view mirror at his now sleeping child. Her fever had finally come down so he decided it was best to get her home. His mind kept wondering to the brunette woman he'd met and how he couldn't wait to tell Sam all about his plan.

"_No, Randy, we don't need some strange woman in our house, raising our child."_

_"Sam, you gotta give it a chance. She's really good with her and she helped me out today by getting her the medication she needed to bring down her fever." _He said starting to get angry.

"_I said no and that's final, and what the hell do you mean by she's really good with her? Did you let a stranger hold our little girl?"_

_"Yes I did, and she's moving in whether you like it or not. You don't have the final say in this because I have already talked everything out with her. Now, if you'll excuse me I have a phone call to make." _He said walking towards his office.

"_Fine, make your phone call, but she won't be needed here because I'm taking Alanna and leaving."_

He spun around to see her take off towards the nursery. "_Oh hell no," _he thought as he caught up with her.

"_Are you fucking insane?" _he said outraged.

"_No, but I think you are,"_ she yelled.

"_She's sick, Sam. She doesn't need to go anywhere. Just leave her alone and let her rest."_

_"Fine. I don't want to talk about this anymore. I'm going to bed and you can sleep on the couch."_

"_Whatever," _he said as threw up his hands. He walked down stairs to his office and slammed the door. As he sat down behind his desk he dialed my number. "_What the hell was she thinking," _he thought, "_who in their right mind threatens to take a sick child out of their home? Stupid! All of this is nothing but bullshit!"_

_"Well, hello to you too," _I said as he screamed into the phone.

"_Oh, shit, I'm sorry. That wasn't directed at you, I'm just really angry." _He said as he rubbed his temples.

"_I can tell. What happened?"_

_"Long, complicated story. Let's just say it didn't exactly go as I had planned."_ He said as leaned back and placed his feet on top of his desk.

We talked about his show being cancelled due to the weather, and the fight he had with Sam and before we both knew it, it was going on 2 am.

"_Oh, man," _he yawned, "_I didn't realize what time it was._

_"What time is it," _I said as I glanced over at the clock. "_Oh, hell it is late."_

_"Yeah, perhaps we should get off the phone and both get some shut eye."_

_"MmmHmm, I think you're right," _I said as I snuggled down beneath the covers.

"_Thank you for listening to me vent. You didn't have to do that and I appreciate it more than you know."_

_"Of course, Randy, what are friends for sweetie?" _I said softly.

As we hung up the phone he decided to go and check on Alanna. As he made his way up to the nursery he couldn't stop himself from thinking about the words I had just said. "_Friends, huh?" _he thought to himself. He shook his head as he picked up his sleeping daughter. "_I just know I've made the right decision,"_ he said as he stroked her face softly with the back of his index finger. He carried her down to his office and shut the door. Stretching out across the couch he placed her on his chest and pulled the blankets over them both. As he drifted off to sleep his thoughts came back to me and a smile spread across his face as he realized he couldn't wait to see me in the morning.

"_Ok, what the hell am I gonna wear?" _I thought as I went through my closet. It was obvious that I was nervous because I was running around like a crazy person. I had beaten my alarm by 2 hours and still I couldn't decide what to wear. My room looked like a tornado had hit it, what with the clothes thrown all over the bed and the shoes starting to form a small mountain that of course I only ended up tripping over.

"_Damnit!"_ I exclaimed as I fell to the floor. "_Stupid shoes!"_

Ok, so it wasn't exactly the shoes fault, but I didn't really care. I finally decided what I would wear so I quickly got myself cleaned up and made my way out the door. Driving across town was completely nerve wracking and I was trying to calm myself by singing along to the radio. It wasn't until I pulled up to his house that I felt my stomach begin to do flip flops. I carefully walked up the ice covered sidewalk to the front door. I almost made it before I slipped and fell, landing on my bad knee. I tried to get up but I couldn't because it hurt so much. "_Hell, what have I done to myself," _I thought as my purse began to vibrate. I pulled my phone out and noticed that Randy was trying to get a hold of me.

"_Are you having a hard time finding the place?" _he asked concern evident in his voice.

"_No, I'm actually here, but I can't come in," _I said as I winced in pain.

"_Are you okay? Did something happen? Are you having second thoughts?"_ he said as he made his way to the door.

"_No, actually, I just…"_ I started but was cut off when he came flying out the door.

"_What did you do?" _He said as he knelt down beside me.

"_Honestly, I'm not sure. I just know that I'm having a hard time moving it." _I said as I winced in pain again.

He gently picked me up and carried me into the house. I noticed his mom coming from the kitchen as he carefully sat me down on the couch.

"_Oh honey, you must be April. What on earth did you do to yourself?"_ she asked sweetly.

"_Lord only knows," _I said half joking as my attention shifted to Randy hovering over me.

"_It looks like it's starting to swell. Can you turn it or bend it at all?" _He said as he placed a hand on my leg.

I tried to move it and it was all I could do not to cry. It was in that moment that our eyes met and something incredible happened. It was like everything stood still and everyone in the room disappeared. There was an instant connection between us and I knew that from that moment on we would be inseparable and then it was gone as fast as it happened. He looked away and I wondered if he felt the same things I had felt.

"_Ahhhh, don't touch me!" _I screamed bringing myself out of my thoughts.

"_That does it," _he started," _Mom, I'm gonna have to take her to the emergency room. Would you mind staying here with Alanna until I get back?"_

_"Of course sweetheart, just be careful out there." _she said as she hugged him.

The next thing I knew is that Randy and I were stuck in an emergency waiting room, for what seemed like forever, only to find out that somehow I had managed to sprain my knee. I ended up with a brace, crutches, and pain killers and when they brought me the bill, I almost fell again. Having just moved to St. Louis and having no job, I had no health insurance and absolutely no way to pay what they had just given me.

"_What am I gonna do?"_ I whispered silently as he walked into the room.

"_Hey champ, how ya feeling?" _he asked as he sat down beside me.

As I went to speak, all that came out were tears.

"_Hey, don't cry. What's wrong, are you hurting again?" _he said as he tilted my chin up and looked into my eyes. He reached up with his thumb and gently wiped away my tears.

"_No, I'm not in any pain, I just don't know how I'm gonna," _I trailed off as I looked down.

"_Gonna what?" _he said as he tucked a piece of hair behind my ear.

"_I don't know how I'm gonna pay for all of this." _I sniffed. "_I mean I just moved here and I don't have any health insurance because up until now I hadn't had a job. I just don't know what I'm gonna do."_

_"You're gonna let me take care of it, that's what you're gonna do." _He said taking the bill out of my hand.

"_Thank you, but I can't let you do that. We just met and I…"_ he placed his finger on my lips.

"_Not another word. You fell on my property, therefore its workers comp and I don't want you to worry about a thing." _He said as he hugged me.

I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him tightly. "_Thank you so much, Randy. You have no idea how much this means to me."_

As we sat there it became somewhat awkward and we both pushed away from each other. He stood up and walked out the door to take care of the bill and I managed to stand on my own with the crutches. The trip back to his house was quiet and uncomfortable. Once we got back, he helped me inside and he explained everything to his mom.

"_So does this mean we don't have a live in nanny anymore?" _Sam asked sarcastically.

"_Actually, she is fine and the plan still stands," _Randy said as he sat down beside me.

"_Oh that's just great, Randy. You want a crippled woman taking care of our child because god forbid you actually take care of her yourself." _she popped off as she walked back up stairs.

Randy stalked off after her and I knew the fighting was about to begin. Elaine made her way over to me and tried to explain that this wasn't the first time the fighting had happened. Apparently they had been having problems long before we ever met each other and this was like the final nail in the coffin. We must have sat there talking for an hour before she realized she had to leave. Telling me how nice it was to meet me, she placed Alanna in my arms and walked out the front door. The screaming continued and I was somewhat apprehensive about being there. Alanna started getting fussy so I thought perhaps she was hungry. Steadying myself on one crutch, I hobbled into the kitchen with her still in my arms. Somehow I managed to get a bottle ready for her and then carefully made my way over to the rocking chair in his office. As I fed her, I began to rock and softly sing to her.

"_Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky, twinkle, twinkle, little, star how I wonder what you are."_

She was so beautiful and as I sang she held on to my finger. Nearing the end of her bottle, she fell sound asleep. Randy stood silently watching and listening to me. His heart melted at the sight of me holding his little girl. "_She's amazing,"_ he thought to himself.

"_Is she sleeping," _he whispered as he walked across the room.

"_Yeah, she just drifted off." _I said as I noticed the tears in his eyes.

I carefully stood up and laid Alanna in her crib, then hobbled over to the couch. As I sat down I took his hand in mine and as I started to speak he took me in his arms and began to let his emotions go. I held him tightly as he sobbed and I wanted so badly to make the hurt go away.

"_Hey, it's gonna be ok, I promise," _I said as we let go of each other.

"_I don't know about that," _he said as he rubbed his eyes.

"_Do you wanna talk about it?"_ I said, turning around to see him checking on Alanna.

He picked her up and motioned for me to follow him. Walking into the living room, I watched him as he gently placed her in her playpen. I sat down carefully on the couch as he started a fire in the fireplace to take the chill off the room. I could tell that he was trying to do anything and everything he could to avoid talking to me.

"_You know, if you don't want to talk about what happened, then we really don't have to," _I said as I pulled a blanket around me.

"_Thank you, I appreciate that. Actually, I was hoping that we could try and get to know one another. It's not that I don't trust you or anything, I just want to know all about you and how you got involved with kids."_ He said as he walked towards the kitchen.

"_I'm an open book, ask me anything,"_ I said with a small laugh.

"_Ok, well let's start with I'm thirsty and I want a beer, want one?_" he asked as he popped the top off the long neck he was holding.

"_I'd love one, but it's imperative that you know, I never drink around the kids. One of my biggest rules is no drinking, followed by no swearing," _I said as I took the cold beverage from him.

"_Well, I'm glad you cleared that up," _he said as he relaxed in his favorite overstuffed chair.

He looked incredible in his jeans and a button down that had since become untucked and unbuttoned and was hanging loosely around his body. The low light and glow from the fireplace seemed to suit him and illuminate his features just enough to see his muscular chest rise and fall. I was completely taken with him and it wasn't hard to see why.

"_Ok, so where to begin," _he said as he lightly licked the opening of the bottle.

"_Oh hell," _I thought, "_I wish he'd come over here and do that with me."_

_"Tell me a little about yourself. Where you're originally from, where you went to school, you know, everything." _He said bringing me out of my thoughts.

"_Well, I'm from a little town named Robinson and its right outside of Waco which is about an hour south of Dallas Texas. I went to school at several different places because unfortunately my mom was divorced several times. I graduated from Robinson High and went straight into college. What started out as an Elementary education degree quickly changed and I went into Child Development with a minor in music. I was there for about four years and I had to quit because of insurance reasons. I still want to give those people a piece of my mind too, because if it hadn't been for shoddy counselors I would've been in the right classes from the beginning."_

_"What happened? How did you in up in the wrong classes? Didn't you know what you wanted to do?"_ he said with a confused look on his face.

"_Of course I knew what I wanted to do and I thought I was in the right place. It wasn't until I spoke with one of my professors that I found out that three and half years of my time were spent being enrolled as a coaching major."_

_"Wow, that's a serious stretch from elementary ed," _he said as he shifted his weight in the chair.

"_Wow, is right. I asked my professor then and there what I needed to do and got myself in the right place. I was completely happy being in the childcare center. I went to classes and then did my clinicals daily in the center with my own classroom. It was truly amazing to know that each and every one of those little ones looked to me for guidance. It felt so good to walk into a classroom and be bombarded by 3, 4, and 5 year olds the way you are by grown girls."_

_"Sounds like you had your hands full. So, what happened? How long were you actually able to work in the center?"_

_"I wish I could say it was awhile, but actually it was only for a few months. I was living at home and my mom called me to give me the news about the insurance company and the fact that they would no longer be covering me on her insurance anymore. After reaching a certain age they drop you, so I was basically left without a choice. I gave up everything I loved to go out and get a full time job that I only ended up hating."_

_"Man, sounds like you really didn't want to quit."_

_"You could say that. It hurt to give up my scholarship as well. Music has always been a huge part of my life and to give that up was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do."_

_"Well that explains why you have an incredible voice. Feel free to sing to her anytime, cause I'm sure it's a lot better than what I sound like." _

"_Thank you, but I've never felt like it was that great and I'm sure Alanna would be more than happy if you sang to her."_

_"Yeah, right! I couldn't sing if I tried."_

_"She doesn't care if you can carry a tune or not. All that matters to her is that you're there for her. She needs you no matter what you do."_

_"Who are you? I've never met anyone quite like you."_

_"I'm not sure what that's supposed to mean but I just happen to care about children very much. I remember what it was like to be drug through one divorce after another. Randy, I hated it then and I hate it now. Nobody should ever have to go through that kind of pain. At least in your case, Alanna will always know the love of her father. She'll never have to worry or wonder if you want her or if you're going to be there for her."_

He could tell in that moment that he'd struck a nerve. Never before had he met someone so passionate and so considerate. For someone he barely knew, he could tell that this was the beginning of what he hoped would be a long friendship.

"_I hope you didn't take what I said the wrong way. I know it sounded kind of bad, but that's not the way it was meant. What I wanted to convey was that I have never met anyone that is so passionate. I know Alanna will be in good hands."_

_"Of course she will. I would treat her like she was my own."_

We sat there and continued talking and after having a few more beers, he helped me up to the guest room for the night. He brought me one of his t-shirts to sleep in and then walked out of the room. As I slid the soft material over my head, I couldn't resist taking in his scent. It was the perfect combination of laundry soap and cologne. He interrupted me long enough to leave a pair of his boxers on top of the dresser and to give me a hug goodnight. As I snuggled down beneath the covers I could hear him softly singing off key. "_Awww, at least he's trying,"_ I thought to myself as a smile crept across my face. "_I love you, Randy," _I said aloud to no one as I drifted off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Over the next couple of weeks, I began to get used to coming and going from the Orton's house because moving in just didn't seem to be feasible. Sam was less than amused to have me there, but what could she do? As far as I was concerned, I was given a job to do and I was going to make the best of it. Elaine would stop by from time to time to check on us and half the time I was left by myself because Sam didn't want to be around me in the first place. After being there for awhile, I began to get rather aggravated at how I was being taken advantage of. I finally decided to confront Sam and I had hoped that we could talk like two rational adults. Somebody should have stopped me before I ever tried it.

"_Excuse me, Sam? Can we talk for a minute?" _I said walking into Randy's office.

She glanced up from the computer, rolled her eyes, and continued typing.

"_What do you want?" _she said, annoyance evident in her tone.

_"Look, I know you don't like me, but I really don't think it's fair for you to take advantage of me the way you have been." _I said as I sat down.

_"What in the blue hell are you talking about?" _She said, never taking her eyes off the computer.

_"I would just appreciate it if you would stop making me buy all the groceries including Alanna's diapers and medicine. Although I don't mind, it's not my responsibility."_ I said as I turned towards her.

She finally looked up from what she was doing and couldn't believe what I had just said.

"_Are you serious? My husband hires some stranger to come into our house to take care of our kid and she wants to give me lip about what I have her do? Let me make something completely clear to you that apparently my husband seemed to have forgotten. When he's not here, I'm in charge and what I say goes." _she said as she tapped her nails on the desk.

At this point I was ready to smack her one, but I tried to remain calm.

"_Sam, I'm trying to be nice here, and you're not making this easy at all. I'm telling you, from this point on I'm not going to be taken advantage of anymore."_

_"Ok, you know what, I want you out of my house and I want you out RIGHT NOW!" _she screamed.

"_If that's what you want then fine, but what should I tell your husband when he calls me later to check on…" _I started.

"_Call you? You mean to tell me my husband calls and talks to you?" _ she said angrily

"_Of course he does, but it's not what you're thinking. He only calls to talk with me about Alanna and how I'm handling things. We are nothing more than friends and that's it. I completely respect the fact that he's a married man. I would never dream of coming in between the two of you."_

_"Well, I think I've heard it all now. He asks me all of those things so why does he need to call you? I think I'm gonna have a long talk with him about this later. Just do me a favor and get out of my sight."_

_"Gladly, I think I hear Alanna crying anyway," _I said as I stalked out of the room.

Finally able to walk up the stairs without my crutches, I made my way to get Alanna. As I walked into the nursery I could hear Sam yelling on the phone but it wasn't to Randy. I didn't want to eavesdrop but something kept telling me that she was talking to someone she shouldn't be. I held Alanna close to me and gently patted her on the back as I tried to figure out who Sam was talking to. I came back downstairs and walked into the kitchen to get a bottle ready. As I sat down to feed her, Sam came walking by.

"_I thought I told you to get out of my sight," _she said somewhat put off.

"_I believe I did, and Alanna needed to be fed so here I am," _I said angrily.

"_What the hell ever,"_ she said a she made her way upstairs.

I wasn't sure what was going on but I knew I had to get to the bottom of it. I knew it was Randy's off day so I knew he'd be home in a matter of hours, but I just had a nagging feeling that something else was going on. I sat down on the couch and rocked Alanna until she was asleep, and then made my way to Randy's office. As I placed her in the crib, I heard the front door open.

"_Hey baby, I'm so glad you could make it." _I heard Sam say.

"_We don't have much time before you know who gets home so let's make the best of this before he does."_

I felt myself getting angrier as she spoke. Who did she think she was? I decided that I had to get out of there so I picked Alanna up and went to get my keys. As I walked towards the living room, I couldn't believe what I saw.

"_What the… CODY RHODES?! Oh this is so wrong!" _I said as I walked out the front door.

I quickly placed Alanna in her car seat, and then quickly drove away. I began to feel the tears stinging my eyes as I drove. Randy was going to get hurt and I couldn't do anything about it. Little did I know, Sam was going to try and turn this all around on me. I got half way home and I saw flashing lights coming up behind me. I pulled over thinking I needed to let him pass, only he stopped and demanded that I get out of my car. I tried to explain things to him, but he wasn't buying my story and before I knew it, I was being taken into custody along with Alanna. This had to be the worst day of my life as I had never been arrested for anything. I knew I hadn't done anything wrong, but how was I gonna make Randy believe that and even more, how was I gonna make sure that I'd still have a job after all of this was over? Oh I had so much to think about as I sat in that stupid cell. I wondered what they had done with Alanna and I wondered how I was going to get out of there.

"_Miss. Picard," _the chubby guard started, "_there's someone here to see you_."

Randy appeared from around the corner and I instantly felt nervous and scared. The guard opened the cell door and let him in to talk with me.

"_I only have one thing to ask you. Why did you take off with my daughter?"_ he asked in a low voice.

"_I was asked to leave and after I saw your wife with Cody, I decided it was best to take Alanna back to my apartment with me until you got home." _I said softly.

_"My wife with Cody? What the hell are you talking about?" _he said becoming infuriated.

_"Look, I really don't think it's my place to say anything. My only fault here was wanting to make sure Alanna wasn't exposed to anymore yelling and fighting." _I said calmly.

_"So you thought you'd just up and leave with my daughter?" _he yelled.

_"Yes, Randy, that's what I did. I had every intention of calling you as soon as I got back to my apartment to let you know that I had her, but I ended up here instead." _I said getting aggravated.

_"Well this is just what I wanted to come home to. A wife that is apparently cheating on me with someone I considered to be a friend and then, there's you. I thought you were someone I could trust but apparently I was wrong, because instead of taking care of my baby girl, you try to take off with her. Why did I ever think this would work," _he said the hurt evident in his voice.

"_You know what, Randy, you can sit here and ask me all the questions you want to, but the fact of the matter is, I did what I thought was best. I would never do anything to hurt you or be dishonest with you. In fact, I have been putting up with her crap and not saying anything to you just to keep the peace. For weeks now, I have been buying all the groceries in your house and I have been buying Alanna's diapers and medication. None of which is my responsibility, but I did it anyway because I knew it wasn't gonna get done if I didn't do it, and then it was made real clear to me that when you weren't around she was in charge and whatever she said goes. I finally got tired of being taken advantage of so I stepped up to the plate and look where it got me. Stuck in this place and losing my best friend. For what it's worth, Randy, I'm sorry and I hope you can forgive me." _I said as a few tears streamed down my cheek.

He motioned for the guard to come and open the cell door. Making his way out, he turned and looked at me one last time. He ran a hand through his hair as he shook his head. I sat down on the edge of the cell bed as the guard closed the door.

"_Wait," _he started, "_get her outta there. She doesn't deserve any of this. As far as I'm concerned all the charges against her need to be dropped."_

I couldn't believe what I had just heard. Before I could stop myself, I jumped up and made a beeline for him. I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him tightly.

"_Thank you so much." _I said as a smile spread across my face.

"_Don't thank me just yet," _he said as he pulled away from me.

We made our way out of the police station and he asked me to follow him back to his house. I knew all hell was about to break loose because he was going to confront Sam about all the things I had said on top of the whole cheating on him with Cody thing. I couldn't have been more right and in that moment I wished I hadn't been. As Randy and I walked in, he saw firsthand that I had been telling him the truth.

"_What the fuck is this?" _He yelled as he handed Alanna over to me. "_I changed my mind, take her back to your place. I don't want either of you around to see what I'm gonna do."_

_"Just please don't do anything stupid, ok," _I said as I made my way back to the door.

As I was leaving I noticed him grab Cody by the neck and throw him to the floor. He stood over him with clenched jaws and he was breathing heavy. I shook my head as I walked out the door and was really glad that Randy asked me to leave because he was right, I didn't want to see what he was going to do to Cody. As I placed Alanna in her car seat I heard Randy yelling and Sam crying. This was gonna be a long night and I hoped that by the time it was all over, I would still have my friend.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I walked into my apartment and noticed that my answering machine was blinking. I hit the button and continued making a little floor pallet for Alanna.

"_Hey April, it's Randy. Just wanted to let you know I'm getting ready to board my flight. I thought you'd be home by now, but I guess you got stuck in traffic again. I can't wait to talk with you about Alanna. I'll call you when I land. Bye."_

_"You know what, Alanna? You have the most amazing dad on the planet," _I said as I laid her down to change her diaper. She looked up at me and laughed. Once I was finished she raised her hands to let me know she wanted me to hold her. She was an absolutely beautiful little girl and I loved spending every minute I could with her. We went into the kitchen and danced around for a few minutes and then I laid her back on the pallet with her toys. My mind was still consumed with what I had seen before I left and I wondered what was going on. I tried doing other things like checking my email, surfing the web, listening to music, and finally watching some TV to get my mind off of the situation. I picked Alanna up and held her as I laid across the couch. Pulling the blanket over us I drifted off to sleep.

"_What the…_" I started as I sat up. I heard the knocking again so I figured it must be Randy. As I walked towards the door I glanced at the clock and saw that it was going on 3 am.

"_Hey, I'm sorry it's so late," _he said as he took Alanna.

"_It's ok, come on in," _I said as I noticed the pain etched on his face. He walked past me and made his way over to my couch.

"_So, how has she been?" _he asked as he kissed the top of her head.

"_She was absolutely perfect," _I said noticing the tears forming in his eyes.

"_Hey, are you okay? Was it something I said?" _

He shook his head at me as he cuddled with his daughter. He began to sob heavily and I knew something had happened.

"_Randy, what is going on? Why are you so upset?" _

He looked so sad and helpless all rolled into one. His eyes revealed a fear I'd never seen before and the way he held his daughter meant only one thing: was she his? In that moment all I could think about was how badly I wanted to hold Randy and make his pain disappear and how much I wanted to strangle the hell out of Sam for putting him through this nightmare. I only hoped that my brain was wrong on what I was thinking.

"_I know this is none of my business, but does this have something to do with Alanna?"_

He looked up at me as a few more tears trickled down his already tear stained face.

"_Yes, it has everything to do with Alanna," _he sobbed.

"_You wanna tell me what's going on?" _I said as I placed a hand gently on his leg.

"_I don't know anymore," _he started, "_I have a bond with this precious little girl, and now I may have to say goodbye to her and I don't even begin to know how."_

"_I may not be the smartest person in the world, but I can certainly promise you that you will never have to say goodbye to your baby girl," _I said softly_._

"_You don't understand, Sam admitted that she'd been having an affair with Cody long before Alanna was ever conceived. That's why I'm so upset. What if the little girl I have grown so fond of, isn't even mine?"_

_"Damn her! You don't need to think like this. Randy, she is yours and deep down I think you know that."_

_"I thought I knew a lot of things and now I feel as if my world is falling apart and my reason for living could be taken away from me."_

_"Stop it!" _I yelled. "_Please don't do this to yourself. You have got to find a way to pull it together for Alanna and for you."_

He laid her down and then made his way over to the bar. I grabbed us both a bottle of water and I sat on the bar stool next to him.

"_Randy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you, it's just that I get so aggravated when I see someone give up before the battle is even won."_

_"Meaning what, exactly?"_

_"Meaning, that you shouldn't just throw in the towel before you know the truth."_

_"Where do you get off?"_

_"I'm sorry?"_

_"What makes you think I have given up? I want my daughter to be in life more than anything, I love her with all my heart and up 'til now, she's the only female who hasn't broken my heart."_

_"First of all, I know you want your daughter to be in your life, I never doubted that. I think you are so confused that you say one thing but you mean another."_

_"Oh is that so," _he said as he pulled a cigarette from an already half smoked pack of Marlboro's.

"_Oh hell no, don't even think about putting that to your lips in this apartment," _I said as I yanked it out of his hand.

The look in his eyes changed very quickly and I thought he was going to let me have it. Instead he threw the pack at me and made his way towards the door.

"_Randy," _I started, "_You don't have to leave."_

_"I just think it would be better if I did. I will be back at some point to pick her up."_

I made my way over to the door and reached out for his hand. The electricity between us was undeniable but we both ignored it.

"_It's late, please stay. You can have the couch or my bed, I really don't care."_

_"Are you sure this is ok?"_

I smiled up at him and pulled him gently towards me.

_"Would I have asked you to stay if it wasn't?"_

_"Well, we have a little comedian, now don't we," _he chuckled.

"_More like a smartass, and I don't see you complaining."_

As I rummaged through the hall closet for a pillow, he walked up behind me to thank me again for letting him stay and for keeping Alanna. He wrapped his arms around me and I quickly realized that he was shirtless and wearing only his boxer briefs. It took everything in me not to turn around and take him right then and there. I think he knew he was getting to me, as he chuckled in my ear before he released me and walked into the bathroom.

I can honestly say that I didn't sleep a wink that night and I knew Randy hadn't either. As I lay there in bed, I began to smell the aroma of bacon and coffee. Knowing that I couldn't possibly lay there anymore, I decided to go and see what he was doing. I slid my robe around me and walked out of my room. Stopping at the end of the hall, I smiled at what was taking place in my kitchen. He was the picture of pure perfection, standing only in his jeans and singing along to what I could only think was Metallica. He would turn around to face Alanna ever so often to make sure she was doing ok in her bouncy chair. Then he would continue to flip the bacon in the skillet and dance around making Alanna laugh. I stood there trying to be quiet, but when he burned himself and realized he couldn't cuss, the censorship was just too much to handle.

"_Mornin' sunshine, how long have you been standing there?"_

_"Long enough to see you acting like a goof ball," _I said as I sat down at the bar.

He poured me a cup of coffee and then finished with the food so that we could eat. As we sat there, I could tell something was on his mind and I wondered what it could be.

_"So she is a real person,"_ he thought to himself. He studied me carefully as I ate and he loved what he saw. A woman who wasn't afraid to look like a total wreck in front of him and a woman that seemed completely comfortable with herself. He had to admit, it was quite a turn on, but he scolded himself as he remembered that we were only friends.

"_Everything ok over there," _I said as I brought him out of his thoughts.

"_Yeah, um, I was just, you know, thinking," _he said as he blushed.

"_What is this all about?" _I said pointing at his face. "_Is the Viper actually blushing?"_

_"Yeah, well don't get used to it, it doesn't happen very often," _he said as he took another bite of bacon.

I loved the way he'd act as though he was mad at me when in reality he wasn't. He was so different outside of his televised world and I was glad that he was allowing me to see what others rarely get to. He was always the angry, out of control guy that was out to seek revenge on everyone who had ever gotten in his way, but here, in my kitchen he was sweet, and gentle. He wasn't just some character, instead he was a real man with real feelings.

"_Hey, earth to April," _he said throwing a piece of toast in my face, "_you wanna come back from outer space or what?"_

_"Huh? Oh, sorry. Um, I was just, um, oh never mind," _I said as the blush crept on my cheeks.

"_Well it's good to know that I'm not the only one with that problem," _he said as he touched my face.

That's when it happened again. He reached out to touch my face and our eyes locked. Once again everything seemed to disappear and just as fast as it had happened, it was over. He looked away and I knew I had to shake off the feelings that were flowing freely throughout my body. I stood up and made my way over to the sink. I decided to take my mind off of everything so I started doing the dishes. He brought me his plate then quickly walked out of the kitchen to play with Alanna. I glanced around the corner and watched him as he rolled around on the floor playing with her. It was only a matter of time before his gorgeous smile would fade as a paternity test was inevitable.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Knowing that we were going to have a big day ahead of us, I went to grab a shower. Once he knew he was alone and could talk privately he made a call to his attorney. He filled him in on all the details and even told him to go ahead and draw up divorce papers.

"_Randy, are you sure about all of this?" _John said in a concerned tone.

"_Yeah, man. I just got through talking to my attorney and after everything that has happened I just want out. I need to get answers and I want to get Alanna away from her no matter what the cost."_

_"I get that, man, but what are you gonna do with her out here?"_

_"Oh well, that's easy. I'll just ask April to come out on the road with me. I haven't decided yet how all of it will come about, but I know she'll do it."_

_"Well that's good man, I'm glad you know what you're doing. Listen, I hate to cut this short, but I have to run. I have a photo shoot in about 20 minutes for People Magazine. Good luck with everything and let me know how everything goes._"

Randy sat his phone down and made his way over to Alanna. He gently cradled her in his arms as she wrapped her tiny hand around his index finger. "_Dad da," _she cooed. He nuzzled her nose as a few tears trickled down his cheeks. "_I promise you, baby girl, I'll do whatever it takes to prove that you belong with me." _His mind was made up and he knew what he had to do.

"_Hey, April, are you finished yet?"_

_"Yeah sweetie, why? What's up?" _I said as I walked into the living room.

"_I need to freshen up and I thought I would get a quick shower before we left for the attorney's office."_

_"Of course, go ahead. I'll change Alanna and get her ready for you."_

_"Thank you," _he said as he winked at me.

Before long, we were on our way downtown for this whole mess to start. His attorney made all the necessary phone calls to get Sam and Cody in his office as well.

"_Really, Randy? Why is she here?" _Sam said sarcastically.

"_I'm here for support and to take care of Alanna," _I said completely annoyed.

"_Support? Oh, he's gonna need that when I take Alanna away from him."_

She stepped in front of Randy and turned his face towards hers.

"_I want you to know something. None of this would have ever happened if you had been around more. All you ever seem to care about is your career and your road life. Did it ever occur to you that I might actually be sitting at home completely alone?"_

_"Not really, isn't that what you have Cody for?"_

_"Oh very mature, asshole. Cody and I met at the Hall of Fame ceremony and became friends."_

_"Look, let me stop you right there. I don't care when you met, or how things happen, all I know is that my vows to you were meant in all sincerity and apparently you didn't really mean a damn thing you said to me. Not being home for you isn't even a viable excuse. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be living the lifestyle that you have been. How many people do you know that walk around with 3 or 4 hundred dollar purses, or shoes, or jewelry, or live in the house that we once did? The problem here isn't me, the problem is your inability to keep your legs closed."_

_"Alright, Randy that's enough. You will not speak to her that way and that's final."_ Cody snapped.

As Randy went to speak the attorney called them into his office. He asked me to keep Alanna out in the waiting room and he would come get me if he needed me. It seemed like they were in there forever and I wanted so badly to be a fly on the wall. When they finally emerged from the room, I noticed the stressed out look on Randy's face.

"_I need Alanna,"_ he said softly, "_it's time for the test."_

Knowing the issues ahead of time, his attorney had a lab tech on standby for administering the DNA test. It didn't take very long but the waiting was gonna be a real problem. In most cases it takes up to 3 or 4 weeks to get the results back. Randy made it clear that he didn't want to have to wait that long so his attorney said he would find out if the test could possibly be ready in a matter of hours. After a few phone calls, the best his attorney could do was 24 hours. I knew that was gonna be a day of sheer hell.

"_April, can I ask you a huge favor?"_ he said as he place Alanna in her car seat.

"_Sure, you can ask me anything," _I said hoping in the passenger seat.

"_Would you mind if I moved in with you?"_

_"I'm sorry, you wanna what?"_

_"It would only be for a short while, just until everything gets sorted out. I will be on the road mostly and I'll be looking for a new house while I'm gone. I want to make sure Alanna never has to be around those two again."_

_"Well, I don't have very much room, but sure. We can make the best of it and Alanna will be the happiest little girl on the planet, I promise."_

At that point it was decided that we would take Alanna to the zoo. Taking our minds off of the endless hours that we had to wait for the results was just what we needed to do. We took countless pictures of all the different animals and Randy insisted that I take a picture with Alanna.

"_Do I really have to? I'm not that photogenic," _I said as he aimed his cell phone at me.

"_I highly doubt that, and besides, I want something to look at while I'm on the road. I can't think of anything better than my best friend and my daughter,"_ he said as he flashed his beautiful smile at me.

Oh hell how could I resist that? I let him take the picture and then demanded to see it so I could make sure it came out alright. It was better than I expected and he loved it. I also began to notice how he was getting comfortable being around me. He'd hold my hand at times when we were walking or he'd slide an arm around me. I was really enjoying everything about it and hoping that it would always stay that way. We walked into the build-a-bear workshop and decided to create a bear for Alanna. He looked around and decided on a white bear and then let her hold it for the lady at the stuffing machine. He was so funny when he was picking out clothes.

"_Randy, you dork, the bear is a girl, so stop picking out clothes for a boy!"_ I said as I laughed at him.

We settled on a beautiful little dress with a halo and wings because, Randy got an idea for the bear to be Alanna's guardian angel. It was perfect, considering what was going on right now. We stood there looking at our creation for Alanna and then tried to come up with the perfect name. We finally settled on the name Angelbear Orton. After we had finished with the bear we continued to walk around the remainder of the zoo. We saw the giraffes and he decided that he wanted to join in and feed one. I pulled my cell phone out and took a picture as he made a face at the giraffe. It was too funny and Alanna giggled as well.

"_This has been such a fun day. I can't remember the last time I felt like this," _he said as he got in the driver's seat.

"_I had a good time too. Thank you for a wonderful day."_

We headed back to my apartment for the remainder of the evening. He would be flying out early the next morning so I knew he needed to do some laundry and get some rest. I made us a quick dinner and then as he lay down with Alanna I did a load of clothes. When I came out of the laundry room he was already sound asleep. I pulled a blanket over the two of them and then grabbed his bag. I made sure all of his ring gear was clean and everything was neatly packed and ready for him. I looked in on him one last time before heading off to bed myself. As I pulled the covers up around me, I drifted off with the thoughts of my day at the zoo flooding my mind.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"_Oh honey, shhhh, it's ok, I'm here," _I said as I cradled Alanna in my arms.

It was 5:30 in the morning and I knew Randy would be getting up soon to catch a flight out to Hershey, PA. Trying to be quiet, I made a bottle and started a pot of coffee. I glanced over to make sure I hadn't disturbed him and I noticed that he was tossing and turning. I laid Alanna down with her bottle, and then went to check on him. I placed my hand on his shoulder to gently wake him and in the midst of it all he jumped and managed to back hand me.

"_Randy, what is going on with you?" _I said as I rubbed my cheek.

"_I was having a bad dream. Sam was walking out with Alanna and Cody was getting in my face to keep me from her. I remember raising my hand to Cody and then…"_ he trailed off.

He looked up at me and saw that I had a nice size bruise appearing on my cheek. Realizing what he had done, he instantly felt bad.

"_Oh, man, I am so sorry. I never meant to hurt you." _He said as he softly touched my cheek.

"_It's ok, honey. I understand and I know you would never raise a hand to a woman. You better watch yourself though, I might just have to turn around and use your finisher on you," _I said with a chuckle.

He arched an eyebrow at me and walked towards me. He lifted me onto the couch so that we were eye level.

"_I'd like to see you try it,"_ he whispered into my ear.

I couldn't figure out how to speak and I think I had even forgotten my name. I swallowed rather hard and my breathing suddenly became ragged.

"_That's what I thought smartass," _he said as he popped my rear end.

He walked towards the kitchen to fix himself a cup of coffee. I so badly wanted to nail him to the nearest countertop, but that whole "_we're just friends_" thing kept clouding my judgment. As he finished up, he realized he still needed to do some laundry.

"_Oh shit, I completely forgot that I need to get my ring gear clean." _he said as he walked towards his bag.

He picked it up and unzipped it. As he eyed its contents, he realized that everything was clean and neatly packed. He looked up at me and shook his head.

"_What am I gonna do with you?" _he said as he walked over wrapped an arm around my neck and kissed me on the top of my head.

_"Keep me around, I hope," _I said as I returned the embrace.

He reached over and pulled on his jeans, leaving the button and zipper undone. He walked around looking like a Calvin Klein model that had just stepped off of a photo shoot. He was sexy from head to toe and the light from the kitchen shone just enough to illuminate his tattoos. I couldn't get enough of him and I knew I would give myself away if I didn't look away or make myself go and do something to get away from him.

"_So, I was thinking," _I started, "_Maybe while you're gone, Alanna and I can get some of your things moved over here."_

_"Yeah, that would be a great help, but I'd rather you wait until I get back. I don't want you over doing it."_

I walked past the bathroom and it was all I could do not to fall over right then and there. He had figured out just how to kill me without actually knowing he was doing it. He had long since buttoned his jeans and was now wearing a royal blue button down that just made his eyes stand out. He made that outfit look damn good. He couldn't seem to get the collar adjusted so I offered some assistance.

"_Here, let me help with that," _I said as I placed my hands around his neck.

"_Um, thanks," _he said gazing down at me with his ice blue eyes.

"_Sure, anytime," _I said breaking the gaze.

We quickly walked out of the bathroom and went into two different directions. Something was definitely going on between us but, per as usual, we ignored it and went on about our business. He grabbed his bag and coat, and then made his way over to the crib. He gave Alanna quick kiss before coming back over to me for a hug. His cell phone started ringing and as he answered it, he turned and waved before finally walking out the door.

"_Well little one, looks like it's just me and you,"_ I said as I picked her up.

I got myself ready and went to run a few errands. While I was out I ran into Elaine, who was more than happy to see her granddaughter, and then not five minutes later, Randy's dad was coming across the parking lot to see her as well. We talked for a little bit and he convinced me that I needed to be near Randy when the attorney called me with the news. He knew his son better than anyone and if he thought it would be better for me to be near him then that's what I was gonna do. Bob made some calls to Vince McMahon so that I would be able to get backstage without Randy knowing I was there. I hugged Bob and then went on my way. In my opinion, the flight could've been better, but then again, this is coming from someone, who up until this point had never stepped foot on a plane.

"_You're in Room 215 and should you need anything else, just give the front desk a call."_

_"Thank you and I'm sure everything will be great," _I said as I took the key card from the concierge.

The room was nice and it had a great view. As I sat down on the bed my cell started ringing.

"_Hey you, what's up?" _I said after seeing that it was Randy.

"_I just wanted to check in with you and see how things were going."_

_"Everything is going just fine. Alanna and I were about to lay down for a nap and that's about it."_

_"I see. I miss you guys already and I have only been gone for several hours."_

_"You miss us, huh? How sweet of you to include me."_

_"See, know that's why I miss you. I love it that you sass me. It's all part of your charm, right?"_

_"Oh of course. I get a kick out of it, don't ya know."_

_"Well, I don't want to keep you from your precious nap so give Alanna a kiss for me and we'll talk later."_

_"Ok, sweetie. Have fun and be careful."_

I sat my phone down and held Alanna close to me. I turned on the TV and somehow managed to drift off a lot quicker than I thought I would. A few hours later my cell phone woke me from what could only be considered a dead sleep. I glance at it and saw that it was Randy's attorney.

"_That's wonderful news! I knew it! I can't wait to tell him!" _I yelled as I hung up the phone.

I danced around the hotel room with Alanna and couldn't wait to get down to the arena to tell Randy. I looked myself over and freshened up a little bit before heading out. As I got there, a security guard was giving me the third degree about why I was really there. He paged Vince via his walkie talkie and before too long I was being escorted inside. I never in my wildest dreams thought I'd ever end up backstage at a WWE event, but there I was. My phone started ringing again so I stopped shy of Randy's locker room to answer it.

"_Hey Randy, didn't take you long to call me back,"_ I said with a chuckle.

"_Yeah, well, I just finished with my workout and I thought I would check to see if you'd heard from my attorney."_

_"As a matter of fact, I have. He called me about 30 minutes ago. She's yours, Randy."_

He went completely silent and I thought he'd hung up on me or something.

"_You still with me sweetie?"_

_"Yeah, I'm here. I was just thinking how much nicer it would be if you guys were here with me. I'd love to be able to cuddle with her right about now."_

_"I know you do, honey."_

I quietly walked into his locker room and saw that his back was to me. I ended the call making him think I had hung up on him.

"_What the hell? Why did she do that I wonder?"_

_"Turn around."_

I barely got the words out of my mouth and he made a beeline for his daughter. Taking her from my arms, you would've thought I just reunited a long lost child with their parent. He was so happy and relieved all at one time. He had happy tears flowing freely down his face as he walked over to me and hugged me.

"_Thank you for being here. This was just what I needed."_

_"I wouldn't dream of being anywhere else."_

_"How did you pull this off? I mean did you have this planned or something?"_

_"Not exactly, but your dad can be quite persuasive. I had help from him and Vince with this whole thing. Your dad convinced me that this would be the right thing to do and he couldn't have been more right about that. This is the happiest I have seen you in a long time and at the risk of sounding corny, I'm glad you found your smile again."_

_"My dad and Vince? Wow, that was really nice of Vince to get involved, and yeah my dad usually is right about me. Thank you again and no, you didn't sound corny. I seem to find my smile every time I look at my little girl."_

We talked for a little bit longer before he had to get himself ready for the show. He invited me to stay and even asked me if I would help him with the baby oil. I was screaming on the inside and trying to hold it together on the outside. I stood in front of him and let my hands carefully rub the oil on his pecs and washboard abs before making my way around behind him to do his back. I could tell I was getting to him because as I let my hands run down his spine I noticed the goose bumps begin to appear on his skin. I finished up and asked him if there was anything else I could do for him and all he could do was shake his head at me. Walking towards the door, he looked back and asked me to wish him luck on his match. He winked at me and blew a kiss to Alanna as he let the door shut behind him. If being on the road meant doing this every night, then I knew I could get used to it. I tried to get my mind off of him for the time being and I was almost successful that is until I heard…

"_I hear voices in my head, they counsel me, they understand, they talk to me…"_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"_Hey, man, what the heck is up with you?"_ John asked as he and Randy walked towards their locker rooms.

"_Nothing, why?" _He said shrugging off his friend.

"_You're just acting weird, that's all," _John said as he patted his friend on the shoulder.

"_I don't think I'm acting any differently than I always do," _he said as he stopped in front of his door.

"_Well, whatever it is that has seemingly made you smile more, keep it around,"_ John said as he walked into his locker room.

Randy stood there for a minute and let John's words echo in his mind. "_Maybe he's right, maybe I am acting differently,"_ he thought to himself. Sure his daughter made him smile, but she always had that affect on him so that couldn't be what John was referring to. "_What the hell could he be talking about? I don't get it, the only thing that has changed is that I'm getting a divorce, my daughter really is mine, and I have a wonderful new best…oh, shit, I bet he thinks April is the reason I am acting so differently. I have got to set him straight. We are just friends and that's it," _he said aloud.

He made his way into the locker room and saw his two best girls playing peek-a-boo. It was then that he realized maybe John wasn't so far off about his new attitude change. While he acknowledged that there might be something there, it was just too soon. His divorce wasn't final and he didn't want to go through all the heartache of falling in love only to have his heart ripped out and thrown back at him. Nope, that wasn't gonna happen and he'd do anything to make sure that we were nothing more than friends, period.

"_Hey hot stuff, whatcha thinkin'?" _I asked as I noticed the far off look in his eyes.

"_Oh nothing really, just have a lot on my mind," _he said as wiped his face with a towel.

"_Ok, well if you want to talk about it, I'm here for you."_

_"Thanks, that means a lot to me. Listen, I'm gonna go and grab a quick shower before we get outta here and I was wondering, and you are of no obligation to go, but I'm somewhat hungry so I thought maybe we could go grab something to eat or maybe order up some room service?" _he said as he walked towards the showers.

"_Sure, I'm up for anything, but it might be best to order room service at this point because little bit here is rather sleepy."_ I said as I rubbed Alanna's back.

"_Makes sense to me," _he said as he disappeared into the shower.

I stood up and gathered all of Alanna's toys and her blanket. I glanced down at Randy's phone and a smile spread across my face. The picture of me and Alanna was his front screen wallpaper. I couldn't believe that he actually kept it. Shaking my head, I placed the phone back on the table next to his Rolex and continued getting the locker room back in order.

"_Whatcha shaking your head about?" _He said as he appeared in the doorway.

Once again, I was completely speechless. Wrapped in nothing but a towel, he made his way across the room as beads of warm water dripped down his tanned pecs and abs. He was nothing more than a masterpiece chiseled to perfection. I could feel my heart begin to race and my breathing grew ragged very quickly. If I didn't turn away now, I knew I would do something I would only end up regretting in the long run.

"_So," _I started, "_I'm just gonna finish getting Alanna ready to go."_

_"Ok, but you still didn't answer my question, and why are you avoiding me?"_

_"I'm not, and what question might that be?"_

_"Why were you shaking your head just a few minutes ago?"_

_"I just couldn't believe that you actually had the picture you took of me and Alanna as your wallpaper on your phone. I thought it was really sweet."_

_Of course it's my wallpaper, that's why I took the picture. Did you think I was jerking your chain or something?"_

_"No, it's not like that, I just meant that I didn't know that you'd actually go through with it."_

"_Something tells me that you haven't always been able to trust in people. Would I be right about that," _he asked pulling his shirt over his head.

I really didn't want to play 20 questions with the Viper, so I turned my back to him and continued to pack Alanna's diaper bag. I think he sensed that something was definitely wrong so he walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around me.

"_It's ok, sweetheart, you don't have to talk about it. I completely understand that there are some things that are better left unsaid. Just know that like you always tell me, I'm here if you ever want to talk to me."_

_"Thank you for understanding and for not bombarding me with questions. Yes, I have had my fair share of screw ups and complete losers, so yeah, I have a slight problem with being able to trust people. I would imagine that after everything you've been going through with Sam, that you probably have the same issue."_ I said as I turned to face him.

_"Yeah, but I'd like to think that I can trust the one person who is taking care of my little girl,"_ he said as he looked into my eyes.

"_Yes, of course you can trust me. I would go to the ends of the earth to protect her and even more so to protect you. I wouldn't dream of doing anything to keep you from trusting me and that's one promise I can keep."_

Taking my face in his hands, he began to lean down towards me and just when I thought I would feel his lips against my own, Alanna interrupted us. We both began to blush and quickly moved away from each other. He finished getting dressed as I comforted Alanna. Things suddenly became somewhat awkward and neither one of us could speak to the other one. Leaving the arena was my only saving grace because I could drive back to the hotel without him in the car. I knew I needed that time to figure out what in the hell was going on. What were we thinking? His divorce isn't even final and we're both just friends. How could we let ourselves get carried away? This was going to be a lot harder than I thought it would be. I just needed to keep reminding myself that I was here to do a job and nothing else. That would be easy, right?

"_Room Service,"_ the hotel worker yelled.

"_I'll get it," _Randy said as he walked towards the door.

Every since we got back to the hotel, things had been completely different. We didn't talk as much to each other and we constantly tried to avoid the subject of what had happened less than an hour ago. It weighed heavily on my mind, and I knew it had to be bugging Randy too. Once he sat back down on the floor with me, I decided to bring it up. I was tired of all the avoidance and I knew eventually it was gonna have to be talked about.

"_Um, Randy, I think we need to talk about what happened between us."_

_"Yeah, I think you're right," _he said taking a bite of pizza.

I sat there for a minute trying to figure out exactly how to say what I was feeling. I didn't want to hurt him but I knew that I needed to be honest and upfront.

"_Are you okay?" _he asked taking a sip of his diet coke.

"_Yeah, I'm fine, I just don't quite understand what happened between us."_

_"I know it kind of shocked me too. I think it started with John asking me questions."_

_"Questions? What kind of questions?"_

_"He just sensed that I was acting different and he wanted to know why. Honestly I think he's got it in his head that you and I are more than friends."_

_"Well, that's crazy. Why would we be anything more than friends? You're going through a divorce right now, and pardon me for saying so, but I believe that the next woman you end up with should be someone you completely trust and know longer than a month."_

As I took a bite of pizza I looked over at him and I could tell that what I said must've hurt him.

"_Hell, Randy, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, I just thought I was pointing out the obvious."_

_"You have to admit that what you said was kind of harsh. I don't think it's crazy that you and I could be more than friends, just not right at the present moment. Trust me, I want to be sure that I'm 100% ready for the next relationship I'm in. Right now I'm just happy that I have someone I can talk to about things that I don't feel like I can talk to the guys about. You understand me on a whole other level and I like that. As for what happened tonight, I'm not sure what it was or why it happened, but what I can tell you is that obviously we must feel something for each other or we wouldn't walk away feeling so awkward about it afterwards." _he said taking another bite.

_"I agree with you and I want you to be sure about things before you get into another relationship. You owe it to yourself and more importantly to that precious little girl to be ready for whatever woman enters your life. As for us, I'm glad to be a part of your life as a friend and I hope I'm always someone you feel you can talk to. I just think that it would be best for us to try not to let that happen again. I respect you and I would never do anything to screw up what I have right now. As with any job, I try and stay strictly professional. You hired me to take care of your little one, and that's what I intend to do." _

_"I appreciate that more than you know and that's why I hired you. I've never met anyone who would ever put up with the endless amount of crap you put with and still be so unbelievably respectful. People like you just don't exist, and if they do, then they are few and far between. My daughter is crazy about you and it's easy to see why. You have a way with her that I never saw with, well we won't mention her name anymore," _he chuckled.

We continued talking about things until we realized how late it was. I picked up the pizza boxes as he walked over to check on Alanna.

"_Well, I guess I should head on back to my room," _he yawned.

"_You know, you really don't have to leave. There are two beds in here and I know you want to be near your daughter. If you promise you won't coil up and strike, then you can stay,"_ I said with a laugh.

"_Oh ha ha very funny,"_ he said as he reached out to tickle me.

He missed and I ran from him but it didn't take long for him to catch up with me. We ended up across the bed laughing at each other and for the first time it didn't feel awkward. Everything felt right and completely natural. We sat up trying to catch our breath and ended up hugging each other. He thanked me for letting him stay as he stripped down to his boxer briefs and slid beneath the covers. I checked on Alanna one last time before changing clothes and heading to bed myself. I glanced over at him before I turned out the lights. A smile crept across my face as he looked over at me.

"_Good night, sweetheart," _he said as he flashed me a quick smile.

"_Good night, honey."_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

From that point on, life as I knew it completely changed. I got used to flying, which I absolutely hated in the beginning, constant time changes, hectic schedules, hotel life, and every single questioning fan who wanted to know everything about the new woman in Randy's life. New woman, ha, if only they knew what I knew, then they wouldn't be so worried about who he was with. Randy didn't even need a woman right now, his divorce was days from being final and he was now in a custody battle that was tearing him up inside. Sometimes I had to wonder about his fans and there constant who's he with now, bullshit. In my opinion he had more important things to worry about than answering those stupid questions to countless nosey fans. Elaine and I spent many a night on the phone talking for hours about him and how he was handling everything. We did what we could for him, but ultimately it was Alanna that was his saving grace. She brought a smile to his face that would make even the hardest of hearts melt, and simply put, she was his reason for living.

"_Whose daddy's girl,"_ he asked as he danced around the hotel room with her.

"_Me, daddy,"_ her little voice replied.

"_That's right baby, and don't you forget it,"_ he said as he sat her down.

He leaned down and kissed her, then made his way over to help me with lunch. He could tell by the look on my face that I was extremely aggravated.

"_Everything ok with you, babe,"_ he asked grabbing a plate.

"_Yeah, I'm fine, just irritated at the moment,"_ I said as I poured a glass of iced tea.

"_Well, I got that, what's wrong, why are you irritated?"_

_"Because the people in this town are inconsiderate idiots. I got cut off twice and almost got into a head on collision because people are in too big of a hurry. I'm lucky I made it to Olive Garden and back without getting killed. Maybe instead of wearing signs that say I'm stupid, they should have a whole lane dedicated to them."_

_"That's hilarious, and you know, you've got a valid point,"_ he said as he took a bite of his salad.

"_Of course I do, and I think I'm just really tired," _I said twirling the fettuccini noodles around my fork.

"_Why would you be so tired?" _He asked as he reached for a breadstick.

"_I didn't get much sleep last night," _I said taking another bite.

"_Why, is everything ok? You're not getting sick are you?"_

_"No, I'm not getting sick, I just think trying to get used to this life is taking its toll on me."_

_"I'm so sorry I didn't see this before. I should make arrangements to send you and Alanna back home."_

_"No, honey, you don't have to do that. I'll be fine once I get used to it all, besides, I think we both know that the last thing you need is to be away from your little one right now."_

_"Well, only if you're sure and thank you for…" _he trailed off as his cell phone started ringing.

He stood up and walked outside the room to take the call. Alanna and I finished lunch together and then after I cleaned everything up, we laid down for a nap. I pulled out her portable DVD player and stuck in The Little Mermaid. I rubbed her back as she lay there watching her favorite movie and it was then that I realized how attached I had become to her. In almost 6 months' time she had become my whole world and I didn't even realize it. "_Randy, you've got to get full custody, I can't lose her,"_ I said aloud as I ran a hand through her hair. A few tears fell down my face at the very thought of not having her in my arms.

"_Hey, you alright,"_ Randy asked as he placed his hand on my shoulder.

"_Oh jeez, you scared me. I'll be fine, just give me a minute," _I said trying to regain my composure.

"_What's going on? Why are you sitting here crying?"_

_"I'm not, just got an eyelash in my eye or something. Really, I'm ok, I promise."_

_"I'm not buying it for a second and you know it. Tell me the truth, what's going on?"_

_"Randy, I really don't want to talk about it. Just leave it alone, ok?"_

_"Leave it alone? What I'm just not supposed to care if you're upset?"_

_"I never said that and don't take that tone with me."_

_"Fine then, fuck it! You want me to leave it alone, fine consider it left alone."_

_"Watch your mouth! You have a little one present and you shouldn't talk like that."_

_"Don't you tell me what to do. She is my little girl and I think I would know what I can and can't say in front of her."_

_"Really, is that why you'd get on to Sam every time she'd cuss in front of her, or why you get upset when a superstar slips up and cusses? Oh wait, that's right you think that because you're her father that you have more freedom to do what you want to do."_

_"Who the hell do you think you are speaking to me like that?"_

I got up and walked across the room to grab my keys. I now had tears of anger in my eyes and I knew I had to get out of there before I completely fell apart. He walked towards me and spun me around to face him. I tried to wiggle free but he tightened his grip on me. For the first time in my life I can honestly say I was scared of him. He looked at me as though I was the next meal on the viper's plate.

"_Randy, let go of me, you're hurting me." _I said trying to pull away from him.

"_Not until you tell me what the hell is going on here." _He hissed.

"_I don't have to tell you anything. Now let go of me, now!"_

_"Damnit, I just want to know why you got upset. Is that so bad?"_

_"No, I never said it was but you man handling me isn't going to make me talk to you either."_

_"Would you just tell me already? I don't like to see you upset."_

_"Oh, I see you don't like to see me upset, but you don't mind hurting me in the process, is that right?"_

_No, I don't want to hurt you, I just want to know what the hell is going on with you."_

"_Fine, if that will get you off of me then I'll tell you. I got a little teary eyed when I realized how attached I had become to Alanna. The thought of you not having custody of her really got to me because I have grown very fond of her and I didn't want to say anything because I thought you'd think it was stupid to get upset about it."_

He slowly released his grip on my arm and backed away from me. Running a hand through his hair and shaking his head, he looked over at his daughter as few tears trickled down his cheek.

"_I don't think it's stupid that you got upset and I'm sorry I put my hands on you like that. I shouldn't have done that and I hope you can forgive me."_

_"Of course I can forgive you, if you promise not to ever do it again."_

_"You have my word that I will never harm you in any way ever again."_

I walked towards him to simply give him a hug and somehow I ended up in his lap. I leaned down to kiss the top of his head as he snuggled against me. We sat there cuddled up with one another until he had to leave for his house show. He got up and walked around the room getting things together and then with a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek he was gone. Alanna and I were left all alone again to have an evening of fun. I let her finish her nap while I checked my email and talked with a few friends. My cell started ringing and much to my surprise, it was Bob calling to check in with me.

"_Hey Bob, what's up?"_

_"Not too much, sweetheart, what's going on with you and Randy?"_

_"Oh, we had a kind of a fight earlier, but he's not here right now because he had a house show to do."_

_"A fight? Is everything ok with the two of you?"_

_"For the moment. I made him promise me that he wouldn't ever put his hands on me again. I love your son to pieces, Bob, but he's got to learn to control his temper."_

_"He put his hands on you? I've never taught my son to be violent towards women. I am so sorry that he did that, and yes you're absolutely right. He needs to control his temper and once everything is done with his ex, I think that will happen. Please don't dismiss my son because of his stupid actions. He really is a good guy, he just has a lot going on in his life right now."_

_"You have nothing to worry about, Bob. I think the world of your son and nothing would make me happier than to see him finally be happy again. It would take a lot more than him putting his hands on me to make me want to dismiss him."_

_"Wow, he has no idea how lucky he is to have you in his life. I only wish he knew what I knew when it comes to you. I wish he knew how much you have sacrificed to take care of both he and Alanna. I just hope he realizes it before it's too late."_

_"That's sweet of you to say, and I'm sure he'll realize it but right now I'm not worried about that so much as I am the custody battle. I want him to have full custody of her so bad because I myself have grown very attached to her. I'll just be happy when all of this is over and he can move on and put the past behind him."_

_"Boy isn't that the truth. Well honey, I hate to cut this short but my wife is yelling at me from the kitchen so I better go see what she needs. If you need anything, you feel free to call us anytime."_

_"Thanks Bob, I'll be sure to keep in touch."_

After hanging up my cell, I went to check on Alanna because I noticed that she still hadn't woken up. I ran a hand through her hair and noticed right away how warm she felt. Deciding that checking her temperature would be good idea, I grabbed her bag to look for the thermometer. It read a temperature of 101 degrees. Knowing full well that I didn't have any kind of medication for her I knew I needed to get her to the Emergency Room. From the time we left to the time we got to the hospital her temperature went up to 102 degrees. I filled out all the paperwork and sat there waiting patiently for a doctor or a nurse to call us back. As I waited, I called Randy to let him know what was going on. I kept getting his voicemail and I was starting to get annoyed by it. Finally he returned my call as Alanna was being called back to a room. I couldn't stop to answer the phone so I let it go straight to voicemail. The nurse took all of her vitals and then we waited for the doctor. I checked my voicemail and then made my call back to Randy.

"_Pick up your damn phone Randy! I'm so tired of playing phone tag with you."_

_"Hey, what's up, this is Randy I'm sorry I can't get to the phone right now, leave me message and I'll call you back."_

_"Great, voicemail again,"_ I said as I told him to call me ASAP. The doctor came in as I was putting my phone down and asked how Alanna was doing. He looked her over, checked her glands, and looked down her throat.

"_So, what's the matter with my sweet little angel?"_

_"She has strep throat pretty bad. I say we admit her right away, start her on some antibiotics and then possibly take out her tonsils."_

_"No, I don't think that will be necessary. She has a pediatrician back home in St. Louis and I honestly think if something like that needs to be done, then her pediatrician and her father should make that call. Is there anything we can do to bring her fever down until I can get her home?"_

_"Of course, you can give her over the counter children's Tylenol, or Motrin. That should bring her fever down, but her throat won't clear up without antibiotics. I really think you should let me get her started on some antibiotics before her throat gets any worse."_

_"Thank you, I would greatly appreciate that and I will make arrangements to fly out tonight so that she gets the proper care that she needs. Is there a pharmacy opened this late at night to fill her prescription given the circumstances? I will pay any dollar amount necessary to get her medication."_

_"Ok, well let me get a nurse back in here to get you the rest of the paperwork and let me do some checking on the pharmacy thing, ok?."_

After nodding my head, he left us alone as I picked her up and held her close to me. She looked so pale and just simply not herself. I decided while I was holding her to make a call to the airport to get a flight out on the first available plane headed for St. Louis. As I finished up, Randy finally made contact with me.

"_Hey, finally, I have been trying to get you all night."_

_"I am so sorry, what's going on?"_

_"I had to bring Alanna to the Emergency Room because she started running a high fever. When I first took it, it was 101 degrees and by the time I got here, it was at 102. The doctor looked her over and basically said that she has a severe case of strep throat and she may very well need to have a tonsillectomy."_

_"Is she ok right now? Do I need to come up there?"_

_She's fine and no, we're about to leave and I have made arrangements to fly out on the first available flight to St. Louis tonight."_

_"Wow, you did all of that already?"_

_"Yes I did and when we land I'm going to call her pediatrician and get her in ASAP to get her the proper care that she needs. I also thought she'd be better off back home, because her grandparents can come and see her and I'd rather her doctor take care of her than someone who doesn't know anything about her."_

_"I can't thank you enough for taking such good care of my daughter. Are you going to come back by the hotel first?"_

_"Yeah, I'll be on my way in just a bit. I've got to pick up our suitcases before we leave. Are you going to be there when I get there?"_

_"Of course I'll be here. I want to see her and hold her before you guys leave."_

_"Ok, well let me finish here and then we should be on our way. Oh could do me a favor?"_

_"Sure, babe, what's that?"_

_"I need you to stop on the way back to the hotel and get her some Children's Tylenol to bring her fever down. Could you do that for me, considering I'm not sure when I'll be getting out of here?"_

_"Of course I can, and why don't you know when you'll be leaving?"_

_"I'm waiting on the doctor to let me know if there is a pharmacy opened this late at night so that I can get her antibiotics. He said he wants to go ahead and start her on them to keep her throat from getting any worse."_

_"Are you sure you don't want me to come up there? It's not like it's any trouble or anything, I mean, she is my daughter."_

_"I know sweetie, but it's no trouble for me, really. Just please get her some Tylenol and hopefully we should be getting out of here before too long."_

_"You got it babe. Be careful and call me the minute you leave so I know you're on your way, ok?"_

_"Sure sweetheart, well I gotta run, the nurse is coming back in the room now."_

I hung up my phone and talked with a nurse for a few minutes about her recommendations for the flight ahead of me and how Alanna would handle it. She gave me a few suggestions for how to keep her comfortable, gave me a filled prescription of Amoxicillin, and then we made our way out of the ER. As I drove back to the hotel with her I begin to get myself mentally ready to spend a few nights in the hospital with her. I gave Randy a call and then it all hit me all at once, that officially, my life had completely changed and I was becoming a mom even before I realized it. As I pulled into the parking lot of the hotel, I glanced down at my watch to see how much time I had before our flight back home. I gently scooped her up in my arms and walked upstairs and into the room where Randy sat patiently waiting for us.

"_Hey, how is she?" _he asked taking her from me.

"_She's ok, but she still has a fever. She needs her medication if you want to give it to her."_

_"Um, actually, could you? I've never done it and I don't want to hurt her."_

_"Awww, honey, you're not gonna hurt her, but sure, I'll give her the medication."_

I walked over to the counter and prepared the eye dropper with the Tylenol. He handed her to me and I gently woke her up. She rubbed her eyes as I tried to put the dropper in her mouth. At first she would have no part of it, but after allowing her to help me I squeezed the liquid into her mouth. I waited for a few minutes then handed her to Randy. He looked at me with a confused look on his face until he realized I was going to let him give her the antibiotic. I handed him the eye dropper and let him do the rest. He was happy when he realized that he could in fact give his daughter her medication without hurting her. After all was said and done I made sure that our things were packed and ready to go.

"_Well, Randy, I guess we better get out of here. I promise to call you the minute we land and I'll be sure to give your parents a call too."_

_"I can't believe I have to be here for a photo shoot tomorrow. I'd rather be flying home with you tonight, instead."_

_"I know, honey, but everything will be ok. As soon as you get done, maybe Vince will let you take some time off to come and be with me and Alanna. Just be patient and wait and see what he says, ok?"_

_"Yeah, yeah, I know. Just keep me informed as much as possible. I don't care if you have to text me to let me know about her condition, just do it, ok?"_

_"You know I will, now please try and relax for me so that I don't have to be worried about you too."_

After making sure Alanna was secure in her car seat, he gently kissed her forehead and told her he loved her. Then turning to face me, he took me in his arms for a long embrace. I could feel him trembling against me and I knew he was worried.

"_Look at me, sweetheart," _I started, "_you don't have to worry so much, Alanna will be just fine."_

_"I know, it's just that this is the first time she's really been this sick and it scares me to not be able to be with her."_

_"I understand, and like I said before, talk to Vince and explain the situation to him. Until you get a chance to, try and calm down and just hope for the best, ok?"_

_"How do you stay so calm? I'm a nervous wreck and you guys haven't even left yet."_

_"I stay calm because I have to. She needs to know that I care and that I'm going to be there for her. I just take a deep breath and stay strong for her sake. Yes I am concerned about her well being, but having had strep as a child many times, I also know that getting worked up over it won't help anyone."_

He smiled at me as he leaned in to give me a quick kiss on the cheek and then we were on our way. The plane ride home left a lot to be desired, but I was secretly glad to be back. I called the Orton's and made my way out to their house for the night. I talked briefly to Randy and then called it a night knowing that I was going to have a hectic week ahead of me. As I drifted off to sleep, my mind took me back to being in Randy's arms and a smile played across my face as I snuggled beneath the covers.


End file.
